Chapter 196: Choose a Home for Us

Morning light barely revealed, a ray of sunshine pierced the Primeval Forest and fell upon the newly built Tulou.

"Jili guala..."

As the incomprehensible tribal dialect grew louder, Nan Qinghuan knew the Tulou was finished.

It was finally completed.

She was preparing the morning food, and behind her, Axi, barefoot, cheered excitedly, "Qinghuan, go take a look, it's finished, such a beautiful Tulou!"

Axi ran up from behind urging Nan Qinghuan to see the newly built Tulou; Nan Qinghuan was making corn cakes, and when Axi arrived she set aside her work, "Done?"

"Done, didn't you hear the tribe praying? Hurry, Ying is waiting for you to pray."

"You are praying?"

She had thought they were cheering; after being in the Tribe for so long, she couldn't understand many of the native tongues, but fortunately they all spoke Mandarin—indeed, Chinese language is vast and profound.

"Let's go, hurry, they're waiting for you."

She let A Mu and the others watch the pot's food, then she washed her hands; A Mu spent the night learning the dishes, also mastering the corn cakes and those stir‑fries.

"Qinghuan, go ahead, this is your glory, and also belongs to the Tribe."

"Thank you, A Mu."

She felt a sense of ancestral pride, and when she and Axi reached the Tulou's gate, she actually saw... a brand‑new Tulou standing before her, the first Tulou she had ever seen in the Ancient People era and the only one, built with the collective effort of all the Tribe.

"Om has arrived, we can begin."

Nan Qinghuan was ushered forward, and amid the crowd's embrace, she and Ying stood together; Ying was tired, but now he was happy.

It was finally completed, and a smile spread across his mouth, his teeth flashing, a set of white teeth very conspicuous.

"Qinghuan, come closer to me."

Ying reached out and grasped her hand; Chao Xuan hurriedly took some unfamiliar Ancient relics and began praying, "Goddess, I now pray for you and Ying; you may each choose a dwelling, settle peacefully."

She had to admit, Chao Xuan was surprisingly cultured, able to utter such words; she truly didn't understand how the Ancient People could be so cultured—perhaps there was a civilization she hadn't discovered? "Prayer, how do we pray?"

Chao Xuan had ChaoJi bring out a grim Skull, and instantly her scalp tingled.

It was a human Skull.

Inside the Skull were some water and flower petals, seemingly for a ritual.

Chao Xuan leisurely sprinkled the water and petals onto them; she felt repulsed but kept silent, as this was a matter of respecting Tribe culture.

The Tribe believed bones could bring good luck, and many used them as ornaments.

Ying knew she disliked being shielded, so quickly, Chao Xuan muttered to herself, unclear what she said, and finally it seemed the RitualCompleted.

After the Tribe cheered together, Chao Xuan hurriedly set down the Skull, "Heaven's Daughter, you let Ying carry you up to choose a dwelling, place this Flower garland at the doorway, and the prayer will be fulfilled; also the Divine Water, one water smooth, two water abundant offspring, three water peace."

Just as those words finished, ChaoJi handed over another Skull, filled with red liquid, which made her uneasy and reluctant to take it.

Ying quickly reached out to take it, then burst into laughter, "The new house is finally built, Qinghuan, I'll carry you up to choose a house."

Having said that, Ying immediately crouched, intending to carry her; Nan Qinghuan saw the Skull in his hand and felt repulsed, "Ying, can you put down that Skull?"

Ying understood her fear; indeed, it was made from a tribal human head.

He hurriedly handed the Skull to Dashan, then continued to let Nan Qinghuan climb onto his back; Nan Qinghuan was a bit stunned, and she had to admit, the Ancient People were quite particular.

"May I ask what this means?"

She wanted to understand their culture and customs.

Axi hurriedly explained, "Marriage, Ying will take you to the new house, meaning you will no longer live in the Cave."

"Marriage?"

Nan Qinghuan still didn't understand, but she didn't need to; she leaned onto Ying's back, and as soon as she did, the entire Tribe tossed flower petals at them, speaking words she couldn't comprehend.

Only Ying was delighted, cheerfully carrying her up; among the crowd, everyone envied them as they went to choose a house, and Yao and Ashu also stood in the crowd, looking enviously.

Yao still had mud on his face from the work the previous night, and when he saw this scene, his heart felt uneasy.

Heaven's Daughter did not belong to him, he had always known.

But... when he saw Ying carry her up, his heart was also empty.

"Ashu, the house is built, I'll go with you to the Tribe to see the situation."

Ashu was startled, "Going now? Aren't we waiting for Ying?"

"No longer waiting, rescuing people is urgent, my Tribe also needs to plant sweet potatoes quickly, let's go."

"But we haven't eaten the corn cakes yet, I..."

"There will be plenty of chances to eat later, let's handle this first."

After saying that, Yao withdrew from the bustle and left alone; Ashu had originally wanted to stay for a hearty meal, but with Yao leaving, he couldn't stay either.

"Yao, wait for me."

From atop the Tulou the view was endless; the newly built rooftop still smelled of wood, but overall it was far better than living in a Cave.

Nan Qinghuan let Ying choose the highest room; this room even had access to the rooftop. She specifically had Chao Xuan construct a platform on the top floor, so they could grow garlic, cilantro, and the like, ensuring they would never lack seasonings.

"Ying, this is it, I like it."

It was a two‑room house, with windows and rooms, empty inside with nothing, yet she felt very satisfied.

This Rammed Earth Technique was extremely sturdy; although newly built, a few days of sun and ventilation would make it perfectly fine, and it wouldn't fear the Rainy Season.

Nan Qinghuan said she liked the house, and Ying set her down; from this high perch he could see far, standing atop the towering Tulou gazing at his Tribe, and at that moment he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

It seemed he was the ruler here.

At that moment, any hardship felt worthwhile.

"Qinghuan, this is a house? It looks much better than a Cave."

Ying had never lived in a house and didn't know its benefits; Nan Qinghuan quickly embraced him, planting a kiss on his mouth corner, "Ying, this is a house, from now on it's our home, are you happy?"

"Home?"

Ying took a deep breath, gazing into her eyes, as Qinghuan said this would be their home from now on.

But he doesn't know what home is? "What is home?"

Nan Qinghuan was startled, intending to gently let go of him, but Ying instead held onto her waist and whispered in her ear, "Qinghuan, tell me what home is?"

She gradually fell silent in her memories, "Home is …"

She recalled a modern home: a house with parents and a puppy—that is home.

"A place with family is home. From now on, here will have me, you, A Mu, and our pet Gungun; we will be one family."

Hearing this, Ying was a bit puzzled, "A Mu?"

"A Mu will also live here?" "A Mu will live with us from now on; we will take care of her together. Ying, caring for A Mu is what we should do."

She now wants to tell Ying that a family lives together, and as a son he must be filial to his mother. She knows the primitive people are indifferent to kinship and lack this notion, but she will teach Ying to be filial to A Mu.

Seeing the happiness in her eyes, Ying, though not fully agreeing, heard Qinghuan say it's okay, so he also said, "Alright, whatever you say, I'll follow. Then will we also have our child, waiting for me at home?"

Nan Qinghuan: "…"

Sure enough, she remembers everything about the child.

She gave a faint, lingering smile and gently wrapped her arms around his neck; in the sunlight his face appeared even more deep and handsome.

"Of course, having a child makes a family complete."

"Then I love home, Qinghuan, I love a home with you."

He was very excited, hugging Nan Qinghuan and wanting to spin around joyfully, but suddenly he noticed something, immediately set Nan Qinghuan down with a wary expression.

Seeing his sudden change of expression, Nan Qinghuan, a bit nervous, tugged his arm, "Ying, what's wrong?"